As January is Greek month at VLLC I thought I would give you some interesting random facts about Greece that I found on a website called www.randomhistory.com. Here we go! a. Thousands of English words come from the Greek language, sometimes via the Roman adaptation into Latin and then to English. Common English words from Greek include “academy,” “apology,” “marathon,” “siren,” “alphabet,” and “typhoon. If you have watched My Big Greek Wedding you will know that the father can prove how all works stemmed from Greece.b. With an area of 131,958 square kilometres, Greece is roughly the size of Alabama. The population of Greece is just under 11 million people (at 2016) and comparatively, the population of Alabama is around 4.8 million (2011)

c. Approximately 18.5 million tourists visit Greece each year, more than the country’s entire population. Tourism constitutes nearly 16% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).d. About 7% of all the marble produced in the world comes from Greecee. About 12 million people around the world speak Greek. They live mostly in Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Albania, Turkey, the United States, among other countries.f. Ancient Greece was not a single country like modern Greece. Rather, it was made up of about 1,500 different city-states or poleis (singular, polis). Each had its own laws and army, and they often quarrelled. Athens was the largest city-stateg. Feta, which is made from goat’s milk, is the Greece’s national cheese. It dates back to the Homeric ages, and the average per-capita consumption of feta cheese in Greece is the highest in the worldh. The first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. The first Olympic champion was a Greek cook named Coroebus who won the sprint race

I. The first historian is considered to be the Greek writer Herodotus (c. 484-425 B.C.), the author of the first great book of history on the Greco-Persian Wars. Herodotus’ book is a major symbol in the novel The English Patient.j. A Spartan specialty was a black soup made from salt, vinegar, and blood. No one in the rest of Greece would drink itk. Spartan warriors were known for their long, flowing hair. Before a battle, they would carefully comb it. Cowardly soldiers would have half their hair and half their beards shaved off

The Parthenon:

The Parthenon (“Place of the Partheons,” from parthenos or “virgin”) was built almost 2,500 years ago and sits on the Acropolis above the city of Athens. It actually featured colorful sculptures and a large gold-and-ivory statue of Athena. It took 15 years to build

I was reading about Greek recipes on the SBS website and found a really interesting blog about Greek food. Greece's culinary tradition dates back hundreds of years and has evolved over time to absorb many diverse influences. Many well known Greek dishes are in fact part of the larger tradition of the food of the Ottoman Empire, with classic dishes such as Moussaka, Borek and Tzatziki have Arabic, Persian and Turkish Roots. From some of the best lamb dishes on earth to fresh seafood, vegetables, beans, pulses and, of course, good olive oil, Greek food is simple, colourful and incredibly nutritious. Like other Mediterranean cuisines, Greek food has a reputation for being heart healthy with its heavy use of olive oil, fish, lean meats, vegetables, herbs and grain, although some dishes can be quite rich, like the classic moussaka – a hearty dish made of layers of lamb and eggplant, smothered in béchamel sauce and cheese.

Mezes (or mezze) refers to small dishes, which frequently help make up a main meal, served with salads, dips and pita bread. Besides the ever-present olive oil, other widely used ingredients and flavourings include eggplant, tomatoes, potato, okra, lemon, cheese, herbs and honey. Greece's climate favours the breeding of sheep, making beef dishes less common in traditional fare. Many dishes are wrapped in filo pastry - including Greek classics such as spanakopita (spinach and feta) and the honey-drenched, nut filled dessert baklava. As for beverages, strong Greek coffee, retsina (white wine with pine resin added) and the 80-percent-proof anise flavoured ouzo are all ever popular.

In Greek culture, food is so much more than sustenance – it’s about culture, comfort, family and life itself. “If you grow up in Greece, you grow up with your mother chasing you around the house with a spoon,” jokes Greek-Australian chef Peter Conistis.

When Greeks taste something delicious, they have a lovely phrase "Γεια στα χέρια σας" which translates as "I kiss your hands", celebrating the skill of the cook.

Here are some ideas that may help you achieve your Resolution so that you become one of the elite 8% of people who will be celebrating success later in the year.

All of these are great goals and one of the best ways you can achieve this is to Clearly define your goal – Make it a SMART goal (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound).. e.g. I want to go to Thailand in June and talk to the locals about daily events; I want to complete my Certificate III (my goal) by the end of the year; I want to start ‘thinking’ in French by March; I want to speak to my family in Greek by Easter. Just make sure you are setting a REALISTIC goal.

1. Track your progress. Measure where you are now and where want to be. A principal of psychology is that if you can measure it, you can change it.2. Be kind to yourself – have some patience. Progress (especially in languages is never linear). You may see rapid progress and then hit a plateau. You want your language to be natural and subconscious mind and this takes time.3. Publicise your goal (to family or friends). You have a VLLC family that you can share your goal with. I know this takes courage, but it dramatically increases your odds of success to share your goals.4. Diarise it. Put it on your schedule. We all choose to spend our time the way we do. Make your language goal a priority and schedule lessons and practise time onto your calendar.5. Start again, when you slip up… As Vince Lomardi said – “It isn’t whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up” Don’t turn a bad day or temporary failure into an excuse for giving up…​I love hearing students’ goals – and am always happy to give you some personal strategies to help you achieve them. Use the momentum of the New Year to become bi or multi lingual. It will change your life!!!